in this period, brazilian soldiers returning from the war against paraguay started to build small houses on the side of the city hills - while these groups of houses did not exhibit high density, and lack of hygiene they are considered the precursor to favelas as they later became known and defined.

the most common type of construction at the time were small wooden houses with inclined roof called 'chalés' or 'casebres' - so widespread and precarious to became illegal.

dormitories,  shared housing, and workers' villages became common in the period, not only defined as a strict architectural definition, but also as social practice - this extended across both low and medium income population.